Gerry Anderson Encyclopedia
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"There's a noise, straight above us...sounds like something from another world!" - Jimmy Gibson

Rescue is the first produced, and broadcast, episode of the British television series Supercar.

Plot[]

While on a plane trip, brothers Jimmy and Bill Gibson crash into the sea - and with rising mists, their only chance of rescue suddenly appears from an amazing source...

Synposis[]

High up in the sky, a private plane is heading to Hudson Field, with Jimmy and Bill Gibson, and their pet monkey Mitch aboard. Suddenly the plane's power cuts out, and Bill puts out a May Day call - but they're forced to ditch into the sea below.

Safe for the moment, at least, in their life-raft, now they can only wait...and hope the rescue services can somehow find them. But the sun is setting, the mist is rising and the injured Bill is in a bad way. Jimmy fears his brother needs to be taken to hospital. A helicopter passes over them, but as the mist grows it hides them...

Meanwhile, far away - somewhere in the Nevada desert - inventor Professor Popkiss and test-pilot Mike Mercury are evaluating Supercar - a fantastic, one-of-a-kind vehicle that they estimate will be ready for take-off in another seven days.

As scientist Dr. Beaker worries over some of Supercar's instruments, they all hear a radio broadcast about the missing Gibson brothers - who have still not been found - and the search for them has been suspended.

When Mike suggests using Supercar to rescue them, however, Prof. Popkiss advises against it, until the still-experimental craft is thoroughly tested. But Mike persists, and in the end they decide to make the attempt...

It's dark, and the fog is even thicker, as Supercar vanes down on the search area. But with the aid of Supercar's unique Clear-Vu apparatus, Mike at last locates the Gibsons' life-raft and sets off with his three newly-acquired passengers for a return to base...

...where Jimmy slowly awakens: "Where am I?" Mike and Prof. Popkiss, who've been watching over him, tell him all about it. He, Bill and even Mitch, have now become part of the exciting, secret world of Supercar!

Cast[]

Regular Voice Cast[]

Guest Voice Cast[]

Notes[]

  • Rescue, like most of the Supermarionation series' first episodes, has no title-card.
  • A number of filming techniques that were subsequently used throughout the series are pioneered here - including the extensive use of back-projection, in both model and puppet sequences, for sea and sky backgrounds.
  • Rescue also establishes what will become a signature of virtually every Gerry Anderson series (both puppets and live-action) after it: the launch sequence!
  • Bill Gibson reappears several times throughout both seasons - including Keep It Cool, Deep Seven, Hi-Jack and Space For Mitch.
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